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A Toronto Blue Jays BlogSun, 18 Mar 2018 23:24:28 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.4https://i2.wp.com/bluejayhunter.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/cropped-Jays.jpg?fit=32%2C32Blue Jay Hunterhttp://bluejayhunter.com
3232106034737bluejayhunterhttps://feedburner.google.comBraden Halladay Carries On His Father’s Legacyhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bluejayhunter/~3/rOXrdR6k8TE/braden-halladay-carries-on-his-fathers-legacy.html
http://bluejayhunter.com/2018/03/braden-halladay-carries-on-his-fathers-legacy.html#commentsSun, 18 Mar 2018 14:59:41 +0000http://bluejayhunter.com/?p=14053On the very same mound where his father pitched year after year, Braden Halladay took the hill and did exactly what Roy would’ve done: retired the side with relative ease. [Read more]

]]>On the very same mound where his father pitched year after year, Braden Halladay took the hill and did exactly what Roy would’ve done: retired the side with relative ease.

Spring Training games have little-to-no bearing, but this one was different. When the Canadian Junior National team faced a Toronto Blue Jays squad filled with bright young prospects, all eyes were on the offspring of a Blue Jays legend: 17-year-old Braden Halladay.

With his mother Brandy looking on close by, Braden took to the hill at Dunedin stadium and faced some of the most promising young players in the Blue Jays farm system.

He certainly didn’t need to play for team Canada, but in many ways, Braden chooses to carry on his legacy by playing for the country where his father blossomed into one of the best pitchers in baseball.

Just like his father Roy didn’t need to come back and retire as a Toronto Blue Jay, Braden felt it was important to commit to Team Canada: “It’s what’s part of me. I feel Canadian”.

The parallels between Braden and Roy are everywhere; both pitching on the same mound in Dunedin, both as teenagers with braces. Braden even has a similar three-quarter arm slot delivery that worked so well for his father.

As a 17-year-old, Braden has an incredible amount of composure and maturity for his age. Having lost his father just four months ago, Braden chooses to look back on his time with his father in a positive light (via Sportsnet’s interview):

Instead of grieving and saying “why did this thing have to happen to me”, you kind of just have to appreciate that we had him for this amount and time and he did everything for our family. It’s awesome that I got to have a dad for that long.

During Roy’s memorial back in November, Brandy said something very profound during her speech. She addressed her sons Braden and Ryan and said “I still get to see him every day. Because I get to look at you”.

As she watched from the stands in Dunedin as her son pitched where Roy had thrown for so many years, Brandy was right. It was like watching Roy again through the lens of her son, Braden.

]]>If there’s one former Blue Jays baseball executive who draws the most interest, admiration and curiosity, it’s Alex Anthopoulos. His tenure as General Manager in Toronto was one of the most interesting times in franchise history.

He helped orchestrate some of the most revered and ridiculed transactions by the Blue Jays. From the Josh Donaldson trade, giving up Noah Syndergaard as part of a package to get R.A. Dickey, to miraculously shedding the Vernon Wells contract.

He wasn’t always forthcoming during his days as Blue Jays General Manager, but he joined Mark Feinsand on the latest episode of MLB’s Executive Access Podcast and revealed a lot of interesting information.

They touched on everything from the aforementioned Donaldson and Wells trades, to courting Russell Martin, to watching Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion develop into superstars, to the Blue Jays’ monster 2012 offseason and the whirlwind 2015 trade deadline.

The Blue Jays portion of the podcast starts around the 12:24 mark and continues until the 39-minute mark.

Alex Anthopoulos on Executive Access Podcast

Anthopoulos on taking Edwin Encarnacion’s contract back in the trade with the Reds for Scott Rolen:

We traded Scott Rolen, we did not want Edwin Encarnacion back in the deal. It was part of the way to offset salary. The real haul in the deal was Zach Stewart.

The Vernon Wells trade, which evidently opened up payroll for the Blue Jays to re-sign Jose Bautista:

If we don’t move Vernon Wells, I can’t tell you Jose Bautista stays in Toronto or that we’re able to afford signing him to that deal.

Looking back on his regrets about the blockbuster trades with the Marlins and the Mets from the 2012 offseason:

In hindsight, we moved too fast. I think from a brand standpoint, what it did for the city, the country, attendance, all those things, it moved the needle tremendously. From a baseball standpoint, we weren’t ready to take that jump.

How Anthopoulos says he’s changed as a General Manager:

I was so caught up in tools and talent and ability early on, that I wasn’t as preoccupied with putting a team together. When I say “team”, I really highlight the word “team” and how the pieces fit and what you want to be about.

On courting Russell Martin during the 2014 offseason:

He was the number one target we had to have. We used the Canadian angle. I drove to Montreal about five times to go back and forth to see him.

I think I remember telling him “we’re going to sign you. I don’t care – you’re going to meet with the Cubs and the Dodgers and all that, but just know that we’re going to sign you. There’s just no option.

It’s a great listen from start to finish, but Anthopoulos really opens up and is candid about his time in Toronto. Although, we never did get an answer about whether the Blue Jays put in a bid for Yu Darvish back in 2011.

]]>http://bluejayhunter.com/2018/03/alex-anthopoulos-opens-up-about-his-blue-jays-days-on-executive-access-podcast.html/feed014006http://bluejayhunter.com/2018/03/alex-anthopoulos-opens-up-about-his-blue-jays-days-on-executive-access-podcast.htmlMarco Estrada Gives a Masterclass in Throwing a Changeuphttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bluejayhunter/~3/D_9GyCLkxss/marco-estrada-gives-mlb-network-a-masterclass-in-throwing-a-changeup.html
http://bluejayhunter.com/2018/03/marco-estrada-gives-mlb-network-a-masterclass-in-throwing-a-changeup.html#respondMon, 12 Mar 2018 18:46:30 +0000http://bluejayhunter.com/?p=13991In a game where pitchers are throwing faster than 100 miles per hour, in theory, somebody who throws 90 miles per hour shouldn’t have a hope of surviving. [Read more]

]]>In a game where pitchers are throwing faster than 100 miles per hour, in theory, somebody who throws 90 miles per hour shouldn’t have a hope of surviving. Marco Estrada has made a living as a soft tosser, where topping out at 92 MPH is just as good as throwing 103 MPH gas.

The key to Estrada’s success has always been his signature pitch: the changeup. Since 2015, it’s been one of the best changeups in baseball and he throws it with regularity, about 30% of the time. Estrada releases his changeup exactly the same as his fastball but with one big difference; the changeup is coming out of his hand about 12 MPH slower than his fastball.

Pitchers and hitters around the league marvel at Estrada’s ability to navigate the AL East with these low-velocity pitches, but he’s done well for himself since converting to a full-time starter in 2015.

Estrada shares the secrets of his go-to pitch in this incredibly insightful segment from MLB Network.

Estrada says the key to his changeup isn’t the grip or how hard he throws the ball, but it’s how he keeps his weight on his back foot as long as possible.

I don’t think it really matters how you hold the ball, it’s more trying to kill your lower half.

When I’m throwing a fastball, you’re always going to load, but you push off with your right. When I’m throwing a changeup, I’m still back here and as I release I try to stay back as long as I can on that back leg.

I kill my lower half so there’s no momentum going forward. You can throw it as hard as you want, if that back leg stays behind you, you’re not going to throw it very far.

Of all the videos and explanations I’ve seen about how to throw an execute a changeup, Estrada’s is the only one I’ve ever seen that addresses what to do with the lower half of the body on the pitcher’s follow-through towards the mound.

Some pitchers try to throw their changeup with a downward motion to create backspin, but Estrada’s teaching method above is completely different. Now it’s easy to see why he throws one of the best off-speed pitches in Major League Baseball.

]]>http://bluejayhunter.com/2018/03/marco-estrada-gives-mlb-network-a-masterclass-in-throwing-a-changeup.html/feed013991http://bluejayhunter.com/2018/03/marco-estrada-gives-mlb-network-a-masterclass-in-throwing-a-changeup.htmlAaron Sanchez Shares the Before and After of His Injured Fingerhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bluejayhunter/~3/e4vZFwZwVPY/aaron-sanchez-before-and-after-of-his-injured-finger-blister.html
http://bluejayhunter.com/2018/03/aaron-sanchez-before-and-after-of-his-injured-finger-blister.html#commentsMon, 12 Mar 2018 12:13:03 +0000http://bluejayhunter.com/?p=13969Have you ever wanted to see what Aaron Sanchez‘ finger looks like before and after the blister issues that derailed his entire 2017 season? [Read more]

]]>Have you ever wanted to see what Aaron Sanchez‘ finger looks like before and after the blister issues that derailed his entire 2017 season? Yes, I realize Monday morning shortly after your breakfast has just settled isn’t an ideal time to bring this up.

No, I’m not sure why I chose to share this, either.

It’s one of those seemingly innocent injuries, but outsiders often dismiss blisters. For someone like Sanchez whose livelihood depends on the very top of those fingers and nails, a blister can be just as catastrophic as an elbow injury.

When the decision was made to remove part of Sanchez’ fingernail to alleviate the issue, it only made things worse. He ultimately suffered a strained ligament in his middle finger, at which point the Blue Jays shut him down for the season.

Sanchez spoke about his rehab process to Harold Reynolds during MLB Network’s visit to Dunedin Stadium for their 30 Clubs in 30 Days feature.

Here’s a look below at the before and after of Sanchez fingernail removal. On the left side, the blister in its infancy on the middle finger of his pitching hand. On the right side, what his nail looked like after close to half of it was surgically removed.

It’s not quite “Trevor Bauer drone” level of gruesomeness, but below is a pretty detailed and gives a glimpse into what Sanchez was dealing with last year.

Sanchez’ Finger – Before and After

MLB Network/Robert Flores

Yes, it’s gross and weird, but now it sort of makes sense why removing part of the fingernail entirely didn’t solve the issue. If anything, that method made things worse for Sanchez.

After giving his finger ample time to heal and the nail to regrow this offseason, this is what his Sanchez’ finger looks like now:

MLB Network

Looks good, right? The fingernail has completely grown back and he hasn’t expressed any lingering issues with the sprained tendon on the middle finger of his pitching hand.

After he was shut down in September, Sanchez says he was completely shut down, as in “avoid using your finger at all costs”. Doctors told him “don’t use your finger for anything other than pulling your pants up and down”, which is weirdly specific, but he stuck to their orders.

Now he’s back and sounds just like the Sanchez of 2016 who won an American League ERA title.

]]>http://bluejayhunter.com/2018/03/aaron-sanchez-before-and-after-of-his-injured-finger-blister.html/feed113969http://bluejayhunter.com/2018/03/aaron-sanchez-before-and-after-of-his-injured-finger-blister.htmlMarcus Stroman Featured in New Era’s ‘Claim the Crown’ Commercialhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bluejayhunter/~3/2KK7G1A0_Ps/marcus-stroman-new-era-claim-the-crown-commercial.html
http://bluejayhunter.com/2018/03/marcus-stroman-new-era-claim-the-crown-commercial.html#commentsSun, 11 Mar 2018 14:09:35 +0000http://bluejayhunter.com/?p=139322017 was a banner year for Marcus Stroman. He started by winning the MVP award at the World Baseball Classic. [Read more]

]]>2017 was a banner year for Marcus Stroman. He started by winning the MVP award at the World Baseball Classic. Despite a subpar year by the Blue Jays, Stroman had the best year of his career. He celebrated one of his best individual achievements with a Gold Glove Award.

A few months ago, Stroman took to Twitter and posted this photo of himself on a throne. Nobody really thought anything of it because it was hardly the most noteworthy thing Stroman tweeted about this offseason.

One might’ve guessed the throne was metaphorical, but nope, the backstory is pretty simple; it was all a part of Stroman’s commercial shoot with New Era Caps.

If you’ve been watching MLB Network this week, you may have caught this new commercial for New Era Caps. It features some of the best young players in the game, including Stroman, Jose Altuve, Corey Seager, Dellin Betances, Robinson Cano and Javier Baez.

Stroman only gets about two seconds total of camera time, but the fact he’s featured among some of the biggest names in baseball – including the American League MVP Altuve – should mean something.

It’s so difficult for professional athletes on Canadian teams to garner attention south of the border. Players like Stroman are changing that.

In case you weren’t planning on doing so already, New Era reminds fans to wear their caps on March 29th for Opening Day. The players will be because it’s part of their mandatory dress code.

]]>It’s been a very weird offseason. In winters’ past, front offices handed out nine-figure contracts like candy. This year, mega-million-dollar deals were as rare as Willy Wonka’s golden tickets.

At this moment, there are still dozens of free agents without a home. One of those players is former Blue Jay, Jose Bautista. Which is still very weird to say, by the way; “former Blue Jay”.

Like many of his brethren, Bautista has yet to sign for the 2018 season. Considering that guys like Jake Arietta, Alex Cobb and Greg Holland haven’t found a home, it’s not all that surprising Joey Bats is still a free agent.

But then, an interesting twist on Thursday night. Within hours of each other, there were conflicting reports saying Bautista was mulling over retirement, which Jose himself refuted a few hours later.

At last check, Heyman’s piece now includes a quote from Bautista’s agent Jay Alou, who says “he’s in better shape than ever. He definitely wants to play. It’s not happening”.

Not long thereafter, Donaldson came out on Twitter and directly debunked that rumour. Heyman walked it back, but not before making it sound like the Bringer of Rain was asking for the sun, the moon and every other planet in the solar system.

Similar to the Heyman/Donaldson dustup, Bautista talked to Yahoo’s Jeff Passan and denied any claims about his retirement from baseball. Bautista is still weighing his options and either wants to play for a contender or play somewhere which is beneficial to his family life.

At this point in his career, Bautista has earned the right to be selective in where he plays next. However, there are only so many teams willing to take a shot at a 37-year-old outfielder coming off the worst year of his career.

Bautista could still play for a Major League team in 2018, but it got me thinking … what is the market for a player like him, anyway?

If a guy like Neil Walker – who is consistently a 2-3 WAR player on a yearly basis – can’t get a contract, what hope does Bautista have? Walker is only 32 years old, he’s a switch-hitter, can play a solid second base and he’s still unsigned. On the other hand, Bautista posted a .697 OPS in 2017.

I don’t doubt that several teams inquired with Bautista’s agent, dangling minor league deals with an invite to Spring Training. From Jose’s perspective, I can only imagine that feels like an insult, after spending the last decade with the Blue Jays. But that’s been the free agent landscape this offseason.

Scott Boras touted J.D. Martinez as the “King Kong of Slug” for hundreds of millions of dollars. Martinez “only” got $110 million over five years from the Red Sox. Mike Moustakas just got a guaranteed $6.5 million from the Royals. Admittedly, Moustakas is a bit of an enigma; but in years past, teams were falling over themselves to sign a player of his calibre.

To me, the perfect fit for Bautista has always been Tampa Bay. I recall the Rays being slightly interested in Bautista’s services last year, but the impetus for his signing with the Blue Jays was immediately after it was rumoured there was interest from the Cleveland Indians. Yes, nothing gets a deal done quicker than threatening you’re going to sign in Cleveland.

Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times mentioned Bautista was “keenly interested in playing for the Rays”, which jives with Jose’s hints to Passan about wanting to play close to home. Bautista lives in Florida, and at this stage in his career, staying close to family is a key factor when deciding where to sign.

If I were a betting man (only on Super Bowl Sunday when I essentially light a ProLine ticket on fire), I’d say Bautista signs mid-way through May with the Rays. Because, of course the Rays, but also because what the hell do they have to lose? Also, what does Jose have to lose?

He’s in the twilight of his career, but it’s hard to believe this is it for Bautista. Heck, Tim Lincecum hasn’t pitched in the Major Leagues in close to 20 months and he’s trying to make a comeback. Ichiro, at the ripe old age of 44, just signed with the Mariners. Even Rafael Palmeiro, at age 53, still thinks he has some gas left in the tank.

Bautista had the perfectly scripted send-off in Toronto last September. At the time, everyone realized it was the end of a Blue Jays era. Although his time was coming to an end as a Blue Jay, fans figured Bautista would land elsewhere in 2018.

However, most didn’t expect it get to mid-March and he still wouldn’t have a home. A guy removed from playing 157 games and hitting 23 home runs must have some value to a team out there. It won’t be much, but it’s certainly more just than hanging up the cleats for good.

]]>After years of meddling as one of baseball’s middle-tier minor league organizations, the Toronto Blue Jays transformed themselves into a Top 10 farm system.

Players like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette became two of MLB’s Top 10 prospects and solidified the Blue Jays’ core of promising young players. Among the talk of Guerrero and Bichette, there’s one name who didn’t garner quite as much attention, but he probably should.

He made the leap from Double-A New Hampshire to the big league club in May of 2017, mostly due to the Blue Jays’ necessity for an outfielder. Alford suffered a similar fate as many of his teammates, sustaining an injury shortly after he was called up from the minors.

A broken hamate bone sidelined him for a few months, but a strong showing in the Mexican Winter League turned a lot of heads. His showing this past winter put Alford back on the radar as one of the Blue Jays’ must-watch prospects.

People within the Blue Jays organization rave about Alford’s tools, including John Gibbons, who is firmly entrenched in “Team Alford”. The manager raved about the young outfield prospect on the Jeff Blair Show:

I’ve never seen as big a turnaround in a young player than I’ve seen in Anthony. I remember a couple of springs ago I was here and you see the great athlete, but the baseball skills were missing. That’s not unusual necessarily, but I haven’t seen many guys who were able to overcome that.

Alford is an impressive athlete and as Gibbons indicates, his baseball skills have vastly improved over the past few years. That’s one of the reasons why he’s among Baseball America’s Top 100 Prospects for 2018, where he’s currently ranked 60th overall.

Unlike Guerrero Jr. and Bichette, Alford is on the 40-man roster and he’s participating in Spring Training games with the big league club. From all accounts, Alford looks great so far; most impressively, his ability at the plate is turning a lot of heads.

It also helps that he’s surrounded by big leaguers like Josh Donaldson. Alford spoke to the Jays’ third baseman and is picking up tips from the former MVP. Alford coincidentally has a bit of a leg kick in swing and if there was an Obi-Wan Kenobi for leg kicks, Donaldson would be it.

***

Vlad and Bo could be years away from making an impact on the Toronto Blue Jays’ roster, but Alford already broke the big league barrier. The Blue Jays already have most of their outfield spots sewn up for Opening Day, and yet we may not be talking enough about the upside of Alford.

During Gibbons’ interview on the Fan, he gave a glowing review of Alford’s abilities, but the manager also hinted that if Alford were promoted again to the Major Leagues, it would be for good. Unlike last year’s desperate need for outfielders, the Blue Jays protected themselves with outfield depth ahead of the 2018 season. Ideally, they shouldn’t have to pluck outfield prospects from the minors.

If they do, Alford is the first player who should get the call. Teoscar Hernandez is a little higher on the Blue Jays’ outfielder depth chart, but he’s also an unknown commodity. Is Hernandez closer to the player who clubbed 8 home runs in September last year? Or is he closer to the guy who struck out 36 times in 26 games?

Among the group of prospective outfielders, Alford unquestionably has the most upside among them. And while normally it takes an injury or another transaction to open up a roster spot, Alford could force his way onto the 25-man roster.

***

Kevin Pillar established himself as the Blue Jays’ centre fielder, but his job isn’t necessarily iron-clad. If another player – Alford, for example – challenged him for the role, suddenly there’s a positional battle in centre field.

After three full seasons and over 2,000 plate appearances, Pillar’s been given ample opportunities to establish his ceiling. Since late April of 2015, his job has been secure, mostly for the fact that there hasn’t been any competition for his job.

That was, until now. If Pillar has another subpar season and Alford plays up to his potential, there’s a good chance Pillar is a non-tender candidate by season’s end and Alford takes the reins in centre field.

Admittedly, that’s a presumptuous forecast for the Blue Jays’ outfield, but it may not even take an injury to one of the Blue Jays’ regulars to present an opening for Alford. He could be promoted on his own accord in the very near future.

If Alford wasn’t getting enough attention before Spring Training started in mid-February, he certainly is now – and should continue to create buzz as one of the Blue Jays’ most talented prospects.

]]>http://bluejayhunter.com/2018/03/is-anthony-alford-getting-enough-attention-this-spring.html/feed113881http://bluejayhunter.com/2018/03/is-anthony-alford-getting-enough-attention-this-spring.htmlDevon Travis: Happy, Healthy and Ecstatic to Be Back with the Blue Jayshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bluejayhunter/~3/RlVz74Vp09w/devon-travis-happy-healthy-ecstatic-to-be-back-blue-jays.html
http://bluejayhunter.com/2018/03/devon-travis-happy-healthy-ecstatic-to-be-back-blue-jays.html#respondMon, 05 Mar 2018 12:57:19 +0000http://bluejayhunter.com/?p=13829Baseball is a kid’s game at its core. In the beginning, it’s played for the sheer joy of it. [Read more]

]]>Baseball is a kid’s game at its core. In the beginning, it’s played for the sheer joy of it. Some players forget that along the way. For others, it’s at the forefront of their mind every time they take the field.

Devon Travis is one of those players. He exudes joy when he plays baseball. However, he hasn’t finished his season the last three consecutive years. Travis has every reason to be disenfranchised by the game of baseball, but that isn’t the case.

If anything, it seems like he loves baseball now more than ever.

For the past three consecutive seasons, Travis didn’t finish the year on his own accord. In September of 2015, he had season-ending shoulder surgery. In 2016, Travis suffered another knee injury and was last seen hobbling off the field during Game 1 of the ALCS.

Last year, he was on track to make a late-season return, but the Blue Jays shut him down after Travis experiencing a setback during his rehab.

On Sunday February 25th, Travis returned to the field for the first time since June 4th of 2017. It’s been eight months since he’s been in a real baseball game. Despite being away for two-thirds of a year, Travis didn’t miss a step.

In his first Spring Training game, he checked all the boxes. There were no ill effects from his injury from last year and Travis even displayed his range on a few plays. More importantly, though, Travis is happy to play baseball again.

It’s easy to see and hear how relieved and excited he was to wear a Blue Jays uniform. A few of his words from Sunday’s post-game, courtesy of Sportsnet 590 The Fan:

“It was fun. It’s been a long time. Just happy I can get out there. Awesome putting back on the uniform, putting on cleats and hearing my name called. It was a good day.

I’m excited I get to have a normal Spring Training as a baseball player.”

John Gibbons said Travis was “bouncing around really well”, which is the perfect description. “Bouncing” is the superlative you’d expect to hear about a player like Travis who hasn’t played live baseball since last June.

During this Sportsnet interview following his first Spring Training game, Travis couldn’t stop smiling. It was reminiscent of the Blue Jays’ second baseman of old and not the teary-eyed Travis from last September who suffered a devastating setback during his rehab.

Remember how Travis hit a home run in his MLB debut on Opening Day at Yankee Stadium in 2015? He ran the bases at a breakneck pace. That’s how excited he was. It looks like Travis has that spark back again.

***

In retrospect, the Blue Jays rushed Travis back too quickly last year. Initial reports said he would miss the start of the 2017 season, but then his timetable was suddenly bumped up and even Gibbons noted that Travis “lost a lot of weight” last Spring, suggesting it was in an attempt to take the pressure off the injury.

This year, Travis is back and looks 100%, which is ecstatic news for the Blue Jays. Although the front office acquired plenty of infield insurance this offseason in the form of Yangervis Solarte and Aledmys Diaz, ideally, the Blue Jays shouldn’t need them. Ideally, Travis gets the bulk of playing time at second base

Make no mistake, the 2018 Blue Jays are at their best when Devon Travis is healthy and in the lineup every day. It’s no coincidence the 2017 Blue Jays were at their best with an 18-10 record in May when Travis was the Blue Jays’ best hitter. That month, he posted a wRC+ of 167 and collected 20 extra base hits.

When healthy, he solves a lot of problems for this club. Travis becomes the de facto leadoff hitter and becomes a table-setter ahead of Josh Donaldson. Travis also fills a premium position on the diamond, one where he’s a plus bat and an above-average defender.

The most admirable thing about Travis is his unwavering optimism. After suffering season-ending injuries the past three years, Travis has every right to be pessimistic or unsure about this upcoming season. Instead, as he entered his first Spring Training game of the 2018 schedule, he was beaming ear-to-ear.

After having the game taken away from him the last three years, it seems like Travis grasps the gravity of what’s going on here. When you suddenly lose the grip of your livelihood, nothing is more exciting than getting it back.